While many people in the region revere the Amur tiger ( Panthera tigris altaica ) there are some who consider it simply as roaming “striped money” and try to get, by fair means or foul, a skin of this rare animal that is listed as an endangered species in Red Books of the Russian Federation and IUCN . Among the seized skins were two cubs of 1- or 2-month-old. Specialists think that hunters killed the whole tiger family creating a devastating impact on tiger conservation as there are estimated to only about 8-10 adult Amur tigers living in the Lazovsky Nature Reserve – one of the largest nature reserves in Primorye .

“Viktor, a wildlife dealer, is well-known by investigators for his illegal business; he has been buying up illegal wildlife products since the 1990s and has been apprehended several times. Unfortunately, his appetite has significantly increased since then,” Primorsky Police press services said. “Besides tiger skins, police officers found 230 ginseng roots, 97 bottles of vodka with ginseng roots, 150 cartridges and about $115,000 in cash. The man allegedly bought up the goods from poachers in order to sell them on in China.”

The man is now facing a heavy fine or a two-year imprisonment under the article 175 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (Acquisition or Sale of Property, Knowingly Obtained in a Criminal Manner). He will be also punished under article 222 (Illegal Acquisition, Transfer, Sale, Storage, Transportation, or Bearing of Firearms, Its Basic Parts, Ammunition, Explosives, and Explosive Devices).

“Despite the fact that following the International Tiger Forum in St. Petersburg in 2010 the Russian Government is allocating big money to conserve Amur tigers in protected areas, poaching continues to be a major hurdle. Unfortunately, the government is facing a tough fight with poachers,” says Sergei Bereznuk , Director of the DSWF supported Phoenix Fund. “We have not recovered yet from the last alarming news about a huge seizure of skins and derivatives of wild animals in April. During a search the police accidentally discovered 148 bear paws, two Himalayan bear skins, three brown bear skins, two Amur tiger skins and five tails plus five sea eagle carcasses. We hope that the arrested men will receive just punishment for their crimes.”

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The tiger is the world’s largest cat, but it is also one of the most endangered. Check out Panthera‘s new “State of the Tiger” infographic to learn about the state of the tiger, threats facing the species & Panthera’s solution to saving wild tigers through the Tigers Forever program @ http://bit.ly/PO3odX Share this infographic to help spread awareness! Learn more about Tigers Forever @ http://bit.ly/dtc3iL

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Still by its toeLive baits: Inside and outside the enclosure
Almost two weeks of waiting to watch the tiger that has been preying on cattle belonging to villagers of Dorji Goenpa, fall into the foot traps, has gone in vain.

Their earlier bait, an injured cow the tiger had attacked, and the foot traps, had failed to capture the tiger, so had the goat inside a metal cage.

With the tiger still lurking in the forests of the nearby areas of the Dorji Goenpa village, officials of the wildlife conservation division, who have been stationed at the area in Bulipang since August 14, yesterday switched their plans to trap the predator.

The team of four forest officials have pulled out the goat from the metal cage, and removed the metal cage totally, because they believe it was the smell of it that prevented the big cat from visiting the area, despite the bait.

Senior livestock production officer Kinzang Gyeltshen said this time they want the goat to be kept outside, as the smell of the metal cage might have alarmed the predator from returning.

“There was no sign of the predator near the cage, which was set at Tongjatasa, a few kilometres from Bulipang towards Bumthang, for almost a week with a live goat inside,” he said.

Instead, they have planted the injured cow that cannot stand, inside a temporary box-like enclosure made of wooden shingles. with an opening at the entrance door, and the goat by it, to lure the tiger with its smell.

Around the enclosure, forest officials have laid several foot traps along the trail the tiger used to sneak out of the village earlier.

“Tigers normally follow the same way out,” one of the officials said.

The goat was bought mainly to trap the predator.

The team believes the same predator has killed a bull in Wooling. Wooling is also few kilometres away from Bulipang towards Trongsa town.

Indore: Authorities of Kamla Nehru Zoo and forest department are at loggerheads over the missing nails from severed paw of Monty the leopard who died at the zoo recently.

“The paws of the leopard were bleeding from the still open wound while it lay listless on the operating table at the vet section of the zoo,” said Ralamandal wildlife sanctuary sub divisional officer (SDO) forest and animal rescue centre incharge Ashok Kharate. He had reached the zoo soon after being informed of the missing nails.

“A nail of the bigger felines may fetch up to `50,000 in the international market as they are used for decorative, medicinal and magical purposes. Nothing can be ruled out and we are still awaiting post-mortem report, which would clear things up”, Kharate said.

Zoo incharge and veterinarian Dr Uttam Yadav said, “From past one and a half months, Monty had been undergoing treatment and we had specified to the vets treating him about his mental condition. No one can even touch a ferocious animal inside cage at a zoo leave alone sawing off the nails from its paw. In fits of rage, Monty used to gnaw at its paws and might have swallowed the nails.”

District Forest Officer (DFO) Saeed Khan said that an animal normally nursed its wounds by licking as saliva has antiseptic qualities and it might be confused with chewing off own body part.

Khan assured that investigation would be carried out and that they were awaiting post-mortem report to confirm whether the claws were in its stomach.

Cases of trading in wildlife artefacts have been reported from in and around Indore in recent months. In April this year, Uday Nagar police Dewas held one person while he was trying to sell a leopard skin for Rs 5 lakh. In September, a carcass of a leopard was recovered from the backwaters of Indira Sagar Dam on the river Narmada in the Khandwa district.

Forest officials said that MLAs from the ruling party were trying to ensure that the Maldhari community around the sanctuary was allowed into Gir, Girnar, and Mitiyala sanctuaries. Sources said the pressure was constant.

This being an election year, officers are in a fix as members of the two main political parties want local inhabitants to illegally enter the area.

The sanctuary is closed for public for four months during monsoon, from June 15. Forest officials said that during this period the danger of lion attack was high. If Maldharis were permitted to enter the forest with cattle, risk to their lives would be immense.